Troubleshooting Wiring Problems

When troubleshooting wiring problems, there are six steps which can aid in the procedure. The steps are listed and explained below. Always check for nonfactory items added to the vehicle before doing any diagnosis. If the vehicle is equipped with these items, disconnect them to verify these add-on items are not the cause of the problem.

1. Verify the problem.
2. Verify any related symptoms. Do this by performing operational checks on components that are in the same circuit. Refer to the wiring diagrams.
3. Analyze the symptoms. Use the wiring diagrams to determine what the circuit is doing, where the problem most likely is occurring, and where the diagnosis will continue.
4. Isolate the problem area.
5. Repair the problem.
6. Verify proper operation. For this step, check for proper operation of all items on the repaired circuit.